‘Saw: Legacy’ Follows Original Continuity, Tobin Bell Returns

After seven years of consecutive releases, the Saw series appeared to be all but concluded with the 2010 release of Saw: The Final Chapter. Of course, every fan of the genre knows a popular horror franchise is harder to kill than Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger combined.

Now we have some details regarding the return of the Saw franchise, including the return of its long-running star.

We already knew Lionsgate was planning to revive the series, with news last year that Saw: Legacy was in development. At the time, little was known about the film other than the involvement of screenwriters Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger from other films like Piranha 3DD and Sorority Row. Rumors had floated the new film would be a fresh start to the franchise, rebooting its complex mythology entirely.

As it turns out, this isn’t exactly the case.

Thanks to Bloody Disgusting, we have learned Saw: Legacy will actually retain the films’ original continuity, taking place more than a decade after the death of John Kramer, also known as Jigsaw. When a string of dead bodies emerge, the police investigation finds Jigsaw the only answer, leading to speculation that an apprentice has taken on his duties. Moreover, actor Tobin Bell will reprise the role of Jigsaw, though it’s unclear exactly how he’ll appear.

Peter and Michael Spierig of Predestination fame will direct a cast, which also includes Mandela Van Peebles, Hannah Anderson and Laura Vandervoort.

Saw: Legacy is described as a re-invention of the series, despite acknowledging its predecessors. Of course, the concept of an apprentice taking over following Jigsaw’s death is nothing new to the franchise. Bell’s character passed away midway through the original run, with the latter sequels centering more on the power struggle between those he left behind.

The only two major characters left alive by the end of The Final Chapter – those portrayed by Costas Mandylor and Cary Elwes – are not expected to appear this time around.

At this stage, it’s understandable for fans of the Saw series to be a bit skeptical about this new addition. After all, the premise described above doesn’t exactly sound like it brings too much new to the table, and the lack of a trailer or other promotional material gives us little to scrutinize.

At the very least, Saw: Legacy does appear to take the series back to the police procedural angle, which made the first film such an intriguing blend of horror and crime thriller.

Saw: Legacy is scheduled to slice into theaters on Oct. 27, (yup, just in time for Halloween).

Robert Yaniz Jr.

A professional writer since 2003 and a student of pop culture long before that, Robert has written hundreds of news articles, features and reviews on the entertainment world for various media outlets. When he's not relishing in the arts or writing about them, he can usually be found enduring the cries of his infant daughter alongside his wife.